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Political Science Honors Program

Non-Majors:If you have been admitted to the Honors Program but have not declared Political Science as your major, you will need to visit the Political Science Advising Office and complete a form to declare your major.  Your will then be assigned an Honors Advisor in the major.

The Advising Office is Located in:

Monteith 132, (860) 486-3165

 
Majors: You should make arrangements to meet with your advisor at least once each semester.

 

 Diploma Options for Honors Students

Sophomore Certificate Designation:

Freshmen and Sophomores pursing the Sophomore Honors Certificate should make sure they are completing the various "Honors Experience" activities and earning the Honors credits necessary for that designation. 

Honors Scholar Designation:

The Political Science Department follows all University Requirements for graduation as an honors scholar and requires one additional class, POLS 289.  The thesis requires a two-semester commitment including POLS 288W/H and POLS 289 in the fall and another section of POLS 288W/H in the spring.  POLS 289 must be taken at the beginning of the thesis process and it is only offered in the fall, thus students wishing to graduate in less than fours years need to begin that sequence of classes in their junior years.  Graduating with honors takes a significant amount of planning, and efforts to graduate in less than four years should be discussed with your academic advisor very early in your academic career. 

Students should begin preparing for the senior thesis as soon as their sophomore year.  Early preparation includes enrolling in sections taught by full-time faculty whenever possible, thinking about substantive political issues that interest you, and meeting with your honors advisor on a regular basis. Additionally, all honors students should meeting with Professor Hettinger during the registration period in the spring prior to the fall they are planning to take POLS 289.  At the meeting students will discuss thesis topics, discuss possible thesis advisers, and obtain permission numbers for POLS 289 and POLS288W/H.Students planning to graduate as Honors Scholars need to make sure they plan for their last two years.  This includes:

  • Earning enough Honors Credits to avoid dismissal for non-participation.
  • Ensuring that they will be able to enroll all in the classes that the Political Science Department requires for the Senior Thesis and designation as an Honors Scholar in Political Science.
  • Being aware of all the upper division honors requirements and consulting the suggested schedule for completing those requirements.
  • Planning in advance for how to satisfy the Honors Scholar requirements and still be able to study abroad, complete internships, or graduate in December.
  • Knowing the expectations for a Senior Thesis.